Chrysalis
by megan.daisy.9
Summary: Morgan Anderson, a seventeen year-old teenager on the autistic spectrum, has struggled to cope with bullying and the knowledge that she has to spend her birthday at high school doesn't help. But what happens when a violent assault and the disappearance of her parents throw her into a nightmare ... where she has to uncover her family's tragic history in a mysterious house?
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Author's Note:**

 **Hi everyone, and welcome to the rewritten version of my survival horror story 'Sunlight'. This is my fifth attempt at writing this and the reason why I have decided to do this project is that with the original versions, I feel like I didn't go into the psychological horror aspect that was present in the first four Silent Hill games enough. So with this story, I will try and delve into that a bit more and hopefully make an overall improvement.**

 **And since this is also a crossover series, here is my interpretation regarding some of the Timeline (mainly two Silent Hill endings):**

 **Visage - Dolores' Chapter: A Twisted Dream - 1969**

 **Silent Hill: Origins - 1976 - Good**

 **Silent Hill - 1983 - Good+**

 **Visage - Lucy's Chapter: An Insidious Friend - 1985**

 **Silent Hill 2 - 1993 - Maria**

 **Silent Hill 3 - 2000 - Good**

 **Silent Hill 4: The Room - 2001 - 21 Sacraments**

 **Silent Hill: Homecoming - 2007 - Smile**

 **Silent Hill: Downpour - 2011 - Truth and Justice**

 **Finally, this chapter may not be a very decent start, but I wanted you all to get to know the main protagonist, Morgan Anderson, before the story's events unfold. She's initially introverted, but I hope you all will like her. :)**

 **Morgan's Appearance: megandaisy9/art/Morgan-Anderson-OC-Silent-Hill-9-802188049**

 **Anyway, feel free to leave your thoughts in a review and I hope you all enjoy Chapter 1. :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic, Saints Row, Silent Hill or Visage. All rights go to the original owners. The characters and events in this story are fictitious. Other references to real life places, events and individuals, living or dead, are purely coincidental.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Prologue**

 _Death that comes at the hands of hate leaves traces..._

 _Like fingerprints in time._

 _Fragmented memories of a dreadful past that shape a world without boundaries._

 _A world no human eyes should ever see..._

 _~ Visage, Sadsquare Studio._

 _..._

 _"And now, the news. Yesterday in Ashfield and the woods near Silent Hill, the bodies of five murder victims and a sixth severely wounded female were discovered. The woman was immediately rushed to St. Jerome's Hospital, but died a short time later of her injuries. She had been identified as a Miss Eileen Galvin of Ashfield."_

 _"The last body discovered was found in Room 302 of the South Ashfield Heights apartments. It is believed to be that of its' occupant, Henry Townshend. The body was reportedly disfigured beyond recognition, making identification impossible."_

 _"Once again, we've got late-breaking news... Five unnamed police officers have been found dead, for reasons unknown, in the South Ashfield Heights apartments, along with its superintendent, Mr. Frank Sunderland."_

 _"All other residents of South Ashfield Heights have been rushed to St. Jerome's Hospital, many complaining of severe chest pain. These strange incidents are similar to the ones which occurred in Silent Hill some years ago."_

 _"More news to follow."_

...

Hello friend. _Hello friend_ , that used to be lame. Do you want me to give you a name? That's a slippery slope though, because we have to remember that you're in my head. _Sh*t_ , I can't believe this is actually happening. I'm talking to an imaginary person.

It was shocking to hear that my aunt, Eileen, was among the victims who passed away. I don't remember her much unfortunately, but I used to see her at kindergarten and outside those hours. She was a really lovely woman to socialise with and I enjoyed chatting with her a lot.

 _But she's been gone for years now. And like people say, sometimes we have to leave the past behind and find a way to move forward._

I suppose I should introduce myself to you. My name is Morgan Anderson, I was born on January 3, 1999 and to other people, I'm just your average geeky nerd who was born and raised in Maine. But I'm actually not, because I'm on the autistic spectrum and I suffer from social anxiety. This affects how I function in everyday life, such as socialising and building a connection with people. Sure, some of the kids in school gave me a chance and I gladly took every one. But...they didn't work out, they never did and that's made my anxiety worse over the years.

 _Well, at least I had my Mom Saoirse, my Dad Dwayne, Auntie Eileen and a member of staff from high school by my side to help me cope. My younger brother and two sisters are family members too, though they would appear in spirit because ... they passed away before we got to know them._

On a different note, everyone has media productions, topics and people that they are interested in; favourite movie, television show or cute band, you get the idea. My interests were similar, but they were _a lot_ different than the stereotypical teenage girl's interests. Since I was 7 years old, I've been a huge fan of Sonic the Hedgehog. I've played the games I was able to get my hands on, I watched some of the television shows and I bought the merchandise that I could. My bedroom's walls are covered in video game posters and I still have my childhood plush toys of the characters.

So, feel free to grab a snack and settle in. Because what you're about to hear is the story of a little adventure that occurred. Man, this is going to be hard ... but there are a lot of memories to share; some I hold close to my heart and others I want to leave behind. It all started 15 years after Auntie Eileen and the victims' deaths. I was seventeen years old and working at high school like I normally would.

 _But I had no idea that a nightmare was just around the corner..._

...

 _Chrysalis_

...

 _A single large circle, spinning endlessly..._

 _A girl struggling to break free from her bonds..._

 _Bright lights emerge on the circle as it continues spinning, soon identifying itself as a merry-go-round..._

 _The girl continues her struggle to escape..._

They say that it was the sense of terror that hit you. The snow swirling across an abandoned carnival at night, metal grating spread out all over the place and matching cages with grotesque figures inside were dotted here and there. The combination felt like a scene from a stereotypical horror film.

I slowly emerged from the main entrance, scanning my surroundings with caution and shivering, allowing the sounds of snow crunching underneath my boots to greet my ears as I shortly stopped in my tracks. "W-Where am I?"

Just as those words left my mouth, I suddenly felt a heavy weight in my right hand. _Huh?_ Glancing down, I took notice of the bloodstained switchblade knife I was clutching tightly. _Hm, better than nothing, I guess._ I also noticed an already lit flashlight sitting in the right breast pocket of my shirt and my backpack weighed heavily due to multiple objects inside, the latter feeling like weapons, small bottles and boxes. _Good to know I'm armed, in case someone tries to jump me._

Taking in my surroundings again for a little longer, I eventually found myself turning round to see a golden neon sign at the top of the entrance building which read: _Lakeside Amusement Park._

 _Well, that's one question answered at least. And here, I thought I was in a carnival. Duuuh, stupid brain!_

 _But this place is in Silent Hill... Why am I here, all of a sudden?!_

Pushing those thoughts to one side, I decided to rack my brains and look for somebody who could help me get out of here. Glancing around, I notice multiple people dressed in bloodied pink bunny mascot costumes lying on the metal grating. _Okay, try and wake them up, go._ Following my mental instruction, I ran over to one on my left and shook him to awake him ... but to no avail. And the worse thing about it? He had _no pulse_ and I had a feeling that there was no hope for me to resuscitate him or call for help. I tried waking up the next dude, got the same result. Rince, repeat, rince, repeat and I found myself running back frantically where I came from to pry the metal gates open in a panic - but they were rusted shut!

 _Nononono, I gotta get outta here! I gotta get back to my parents! ... Okayokayokay, stop and think Morgan. Maybe there's something here that can help you find another way out?_

After turning and venturing back into the abandoned area, I scanned my surroundings once more and eventually came across a wide map stand. _Ah ha, jackpot!_ Walking over, I took in the information that was presented. _Okay so, I'm close to the Mountain Coaster which is near the Borley Haunted Mansion. And after that, there's the... Happy Carousel? Bingo!_

I felt a little more at ease now that I had a plan in motion and that I knew a merry-go-round was here. The carousel was one of two sanctuaries for me as well, a place where I could feel safe from the unforgiving world and be myself essentially.

 _Yes, I know that's weird. But that's how I feel._

Following the map's instructions, I steeled myself together and walked over to a dirty-yellow door on a building to my right. _Okay - the sooner you get to the Carousel, the better._ I pulled down the handle, opened the door and ventured into a case of pitch black which was thankfully illuminated by my flashlight. And almost immediately, the sounds of strange static greeted my ears ... along with rapid footsteps coming my way. _What th—_

 _CHOMP!_

I screamed in agony as a pair of razor-sharp jaws slammed into my right leg, drawing blood. Glancing down during my attempts to shake my assailant off, I saw a black and white dog with its' head _split_ into two gnawing my leg. _Nononono!_ Without hesitation, I delivered a hard kick which sent it back against the wall and took off sprinting (or rather, limping). _What the hell was that?!_

My terror grew _even worse_ when I high-tailed it into the next area and allowed growling to greet my ears. _Oh sh*t!_ Advancing towards me was a tall brown feminine _monster?!_ with huge chunky arms, mini skirt, high heels and a weird-looking face which I didn't want to describe. _Runrunrunrunrun!_ Allowing my survival instincts to kick in further, I shoved my way past just as it lunged at me with a sharp bone-like spear emerging out of its' arm and dashed through the metal gate towards a rusty staircase, soon taking notice of a sign pointing to the Mountain Coaster.

 _Yes! Keep running Morgan, keep running!_

I limped up the staircase as fast as my legs could carry me, trying my best to ignore the monsters and focus on getting to the carousel. Eventually I managed to reach the top of the Mountain Coaster and instantly dashed for the control building next to the tracks, frantically attempting to pry the door's lock but to no avail!

" _Come on!_ " I cried out with anger and terror, punching the door three times and heaving frightened gasps.

 _Okay, you're going to have to wing it and head on the tracks. Go._

Bearing that in mind, I pulled myself away from the control building and opened the metal gate to the tracks. Once I stepped onto them, I began limping my way down with the tracks occasionally twisting and turning. On the bright side, the volume from the monsters had lowered a fair bit but the pain in my leg was unfortunately worsening by the minute as blood continued to seep, staining my jean leg in a dark crimson. _It's okay Morgan, you can stitch it up when you get to the carousel or find a safe place beforehand. Just wing it for now, you've dealt with worse before._

It took a while for me to limp down the roller coaster tracks and I initially thought I was safe ... that is, until I heard the distant rumble of a running car.

 _Oh no..._

The rumbling slowly grew louder and louder, prompting me to scan my surroundings in panic. _Oh god, where is it coming from?!_

Louder and louder... _F******ck! Okay, okay, you need to jump!_

A pair of four lights suddenly emerged at this point, sending me into a tailspin of panic and preparing to jump. _Doitdoitdoit, jump! Do it!_

Steeling myself, I prepared for a running start and lunged forwar— _JUMP!_

A blow of _excruciating_ pain suddenly plowed into my left side and the last thing I remember is screaming.

 _NO!_

...

 ** _(January 3, 2016 - Room 303 in Lakeview Apartments, South Ashfield, Maine, New England, United States...)_**

A heaved gasp ripped out of my throat as I awoke with a start, expecting to feel agony from my leg and the roller coaster car ... but instead, I didn't feel anything of that kind as I was in my dark blue double-bed at home with no injury or blood. _Oh thank god it was a nightmare!_

My bedroom's walls were painted in a light-blue color and draped in posters from my favorite video-game franchises, accompanied by numerous pictures from my life. I also had an acoustic guitar, a small white bookshelf and a set of drawers sitting on the left side of my room, a few meters away from my radiator which was placed underneath my window on the right. Dark-blue fabric coated the floor whilst a ray of lights streaming up from my bed and accompanying my Polaroid photo collection on a rack pinned on the wall ahead of it, somehow making the entire room appear as an inviting location.

 _You're perfectly fine Morgan, you're okay..._

Once I managed to calm down, I climbed out of bed and grabbed my blue hairbrush to quickly run it through my hair, checking to see if there were any knots present. Thankfully there weren't, which lead to me tying it back in a ponytail with bangs framing my face. I then stripped out of my grey Sonic t-shirt and colored bottoms into an outfit which consisted of my favourite blue Sonic t-shirt, a blue plaid shirt, darker blue jeans tightened by a black belt and a pair of black combat boots with my favourite blue and white Sonic socks underneath. After slipping on a lapis ring on my right ring finger, a brown watch on my right wrist and a silver pendant around my neck, I took my iPhone and Sonic headphones from the set of drawers, placing them inside my blue rucksack which had a adorable classic Sonic key ring attached. Upon zipping it up, I grabbed it by one of the straps and exited to turn a right into the bathroom to finish getting ready.

I felt a mixture of emotions about today, mainly excitement and anxiety for a number of reasons. Firstly, by the tug of an analog stick, I went from a tiny 25-week old premature baby to an 17 year-old introverted nerd. _I'm bl**dy 17 now... Mom and Dad must be experiencing the whirlwind of emotions I am, given what went down at the time. God help us when next year comes around, heh heh!_

You're probably wondering why I'm feeling nervous as well. Well to put it simply, I unfortunately had to spend my birthday at high school, which is pretty much the best setting for teenage drama. _Ugh..._ People would often think of me as anti-social because of my autism, but the truth was that I was shy. _Painfully_ shy. I told myself many times to be more outgoing and I would try to approach a stranger and strike up a pleasant conversation. But due to the mistreatment I endured throughout my life, it wouldn't work as I was often teased for being "weird" and "uncool".

 _One day it will though, I'm sure of it._

After finishing the essentials, I exited the bathroom to find myself taking a quick right into the living room, allowing the sounds of a TV program to greet my ears. The location in question again had a much wider space filled with a dark brown sofa and chair which sat a mere distance away from each other. A light brown table sat in front of the couch with the large window encased by green curtains revealing an amazing view of the buildings outside.

The walls and ceiling were painted in a bright white, whilst the latter fan and floor were painted in a darkish grey, the latter was also packed with a decent ( _thankfully, small_ ) amount of birthday presents wrapped in Sonic wrapping paper. _Heheh! You know me so well, guys..._ The kitchen on the right side of the living room looked a little different as its' walls were draped in bright white tiles and the wooden floor was a lighter grey. The counters were painted in a darker shade whilst the wooden shelves and drawers shared the same colour as the former.

"Morning Morgan!" A familiar voice greeted my ears happily, influencing me to place my backpack down by the chair, venture into the kitchen and face the owner of the voice who was my mother. "Happy Birthday!"

She was a really lovely woman in her forties who looked pleasant in her work uniform; a blue long sleeved collared shirt with darker jeans and a pair of black boots. Her hair was just like mine, but only a darker shade of brown and flowing down her back. The resemblance between us was also uncanny, so much that we had been mistaken for sisters a couple of times before! Mom was quite shy too but not as much as I was. And like I said, I was really happy to have her in my life.

"Morning Mom!" I responded, unable to stop giggling at how excited she was. "Thank you! I... I take it Dad's already left?"

"Yes," Mom answered as she finished making her lunch for her work. "He wanted me to tell you that he'll be giving you a ring at break time and when he comes back, we'll have a fun evening!"

"Okay," I chuckled. "That sounds great, thank you for telling me."

"That's alright," My mother said, smiling. "Is there anything you'd like to do then?"

"I think," I began with an excited grin. "I think firstly, I'd like to save presents for then as I don't want Dad to be left out. But other than that, I'm pretty much open for anything. Maybe an evening meal at Mel's Drive-In too?"

"Okay, I'm sure we can think of a plan," Mom revealed happily. Her smile then faded into a concerned look as she continued addressing me. "How are you feeling about today though, considering you're going to be at school?"

"I'm..." I began, finding myself trailing off for two seconds as I struggled to calm my nerves. "I'm nervous because there's the students I had to deal with every day. I know we've talked to the teachers before and that they've told them to stop harassing me, but ... they just wouldn't!"

Mom's concerned look quickly changed into a reassuring one. "I wouldn't worry too much. You've done so well and if you get targeted again, leave the students to me. You just focus on getting through today and you'll be home before you know it," My mother's smile then morphed back into concern. "Talk to someone if you start to... feel _that_ urge again too, okay?"

 _Yeaah, about that. Because of the mistreatment ... I've developed a case of self-loathing which... I took out on myself... It got even_ _worse_ _after Auntie Eileen died and I was just 2 years old back then! Maybe if something went differently, she'd still be alive!_

 _Well..., at least she's in a better place now._

"I'll keep that in mind, don't worry." I reassured her, forcing a brave grin on my face. "How about you, how are you feeling about your new job?"

"I'm _so_ excited!" Mom cheered happily, prompting me to grin. "And good news, the pay roll is a lot bigger so that will help with finances, shopping and so on. I just need to finish at the hospital today, before that starts,"

I giggled. "Good to hear. Plus there's also the reporter, Jane Valderama, is it?"

"Yes. I'll tell you how she is if I get a call from her today," My mother confirmed, prompting me to giggle again and reply with: "I'm sure she's nice enough."

After I made my lunch, I then made my breakfast and took into the living room, sitting down on the chair and eating whilst glancing at the TV every couple of seconds to see what was playing.

The TV was currently on the news channel, but a commercial revealing information about the Sonic franchise was playing during a break. Seeing Sonic, Tails, Amy and their friends on television always brought a smile to my face! Just knowing that they were doing well and felt happy, was good. But just as I finished my breakfast and was about to show Mom the commercial excitedly, a surge of pain throbbing in my head caused me to freeze in my tracks ... and in a flash, I was suddenly struck by a series of visions.

 _Looking back on this, it was ... It was almost like a number of flashbacks someone would receive during their last moments._

I saw the dark shadow of a little girl who presumably wore a dress and allowed her hair to flow freely. I couldn't tell what her thoughts were ... but the way she stood and stared at me sent a _very_ uneasy and fearful feeling surging through me, so much that I could practically feel the pain in my head increasing! _Is there ... Is there something you want to say to me? Who are you and why are you here?!_

I couldn't tell the emotions she had, but the pain I felt in my head was now growing powerful. That was obviously a sign that she had me in her negative books. I didn't remember doing something to provoke her as I never saw her before in my life! But the girl seemed _very_ interested in inflicting pain on me, during to my crippling headache. _What is she going to do, Whatisshegoingtodo?!_ I gritted my teeth and clenched my eyes shut tightly in order to prevent a tormented scream ripping from my throat, fighting to keep my fear hidden.

"Morgan, are you okay? ... Hey, _hey talk to me. ... Morgan!_ "

I opened my eyes with a gasp and discovered that the girl had disappeared. Sitting in her place was my concerned mother who was gripping my shoulders and shaking me slightly to snap me out of my vision. "Are you okay?!"

Panting lightly, I blinked a couple of times and rubbed my temples to snap myself back to reality. "Y-Y-Yeah! I'm fine...!" I stammered, mentally kicking myself for not revealing the visions I just had straight away. I never saw anything like them before and truth be told, I didn't want to see them again! "I got a vision a-and... I saw a girl who seemed like she knew me!"

"What did she want with you?"

" _Argh,_ I don't know, I'm sorry!" After those words left my mouth, we were left in a moment of silence and thinking the whole thing over. I felt _very_ shaken. I never really believed in ghosts but ... maybe the vision I had was trying to tell me that they actually _did_ exist?

 _If so, then paranormal activity is at it's finest. What does it mean in my situation, anyway?_

Mom released her hands from my shoulders and pulled herself to her feet, gesturing for me to follow her. "Alright, don't worry. We have to get going, anyhow. If you remember something about your visions at any time, text me, okay?"

Upon hearing my mother's words, I nodded. "Y-Yeah, okay, sure."

After I quickly washed my bowl and spoon, I switched the TV off and upon checking to see if my purse, key and school stuff were inside, slung my arms through my rucksack's straps. After Mom and I got ourselves wrapped up warm, we exited our apartment. Our room was located on the third floor of the complex we lived in, so there were only three flights of stairs to descend which was a little tough occasionally if we were tired out after a long day. But once Mom and I walked into the freezing cold but pleasant snowy weather, my spirits mildly soared back up as I prepared myself for the events which were about to occur.

 _Okay, shortly I'll be thrown into the hell that is high school. Here's hoping that today will be great..._


	2. Chapter 2: North Ashfield Junior High

**Chapter 2: North Ashfield Junior High**

"Bye sweetheart! Love you!"

"Love you too Mom!"

I waved at my mother as she travelled back to St. Jerome's Hospital. The subway journey here was just like any other, but this time it was a little different. I was still shaken by the horrifying visions I received of the girl, so I remained silent for a small part of the train ride. Mom tried to make conversation by talking about all of the exciting plans she had and I responded positively as that was something to look forward to. Deep down though, I couldn't help but ponder over the visions I endured and why they suddenly struck me...

 _Alright Morgan, push the visions to the back of your head for now, you've got school to do._

Shaking the thoughts away, I walked up to the front entrance and pressed the button which made the large glass doors slide open. Just as most high schools are, North Ashfield Junior High was _massive_. Wide open spaces such as the canteen, library and outside, along small and medium sized spaces which happen to be all the classrooms in one huge white building with five floors. Bonus points go to the sports area outside for our team, the Ashfield Lions. _They're basically the stereotypical cute basket ball players who the girls fawn over... Pfft._ Walking into my school, I took in my surroundings and couldn't help but notice that I was the only one here. _Huh, maybe I arrived too early?_

The reception area had a very large space with the walls painted in white and the floor's tiles painted in a silver-grey colour. On my left, there was a long hallway with its' right side crowded with blue lockers and travelling down to the very end and turning left whilst on my right, there was a small area filled with two grey sofas and a white table. There was also a grey staircase travelling up to the second floor and behind it, was a pathway leading down to the toilets and elevator.

A few metres away from me was another sofa-filled area and a large white desk, filled with notebooks and leaflets about the school. After collecting my class' register from a light-grey set of shelves near the desk, I walked through the hallway and just before I reached my locker at the end, I decided to sneak a quick glance through the glass windows on my left at the city outside. The sounds of cars driving past vaguely greeted my ears, influencing me to ponder on how my seventeen years of existence went.

Every day at school went like this; I travel there, collect the register, go to my classroom, try my best to get through the day whilst enduring mistreatment from my peers and head home at 4:30. The latter was the _only_ part I looked forward to as my home was a sanctuary, somewhere I could feel safe and happy. My parents would be there and the Sonic characters would be there in their video games. And as I mentioned before, the carousel was another place where I could feel safe with my family and we could just live life without having to deal with any problems...

 _Again, I know this may sound weird, but ... that's how I feel._

Suddenly, a low growl greeted my ears and snapped me out of my thoughts. _What the? Tell me that wasn't an animal from the zoo, I'd be very surprised if it was..._ Whirling round to face my locker, my eyes widened with shock and a frightened yelp escaped my mouth as I found myself face to face with a dark-haired girl whose mouth and neck were _completely soaked_ in blood! She also bore a striking resemblance to me and _the worst part was that her lower jaw was missing!_ Her dress was pure white and judging from the look of her outfit and hairstyle, she looked like she originated from the 1980s. Panting with panic surging through me, I backed away from her and pulled my fists up in front of me to defend myself.

"Who are you?!" No answer. " _Stay back!_ "

She didn't listen and slowly began advancing towards me with a cold stare. _Oh nononono! F*ck no!_

" _Get the hell away from me!_ " I cried out with fear. My breathing was becoming more heavy and quick as I realized that I was now pressed against another set of glass doors, just as she gave a distorted cry and lunged towards me! I screamed and threw my arms over myself to block her. But then, she suddenly vanished in a flash and as if on cue, the doors slid open as I uncovered myself and took a step back, making me lose my balance and fall to the ground, letting another frightened yelp escape from my mouth. _Ow!_

I groaned in pain, struggling to get back on my feet and rubbing the back of my head afterwards. _Who the hell was that?! Was I hallucinating? I've never seen her before but at the same time, I feel like I have. Why is that, I wonder? And why does she look like she could be my twin?!_

Pushing my thoughts to one side, I noticed with relief that some students had started making their way into the building and meeting up with their friendship groups. "Phew..."

Soon after picking up the box again, gathering my pencil case and books from my locker and putting the latter two in my backpack, I began the trek to my classroom. It was a bit of a long journey, which occasionally got on my nerves due to the number of stairs I had to ascend in order to get there. But sometimes it's nice to explore our surroundings. After passing the main hall which had two white doors serving as its' entrance, I walked past a cafe and was faced with two paths branching left and right.

Venturing towards the path on the right, I walked down yet another long hallway. _This place sure does love long staircases and hallways..._ But on the bright side, my journey was also a chance for me to dive into my thoughts. One of them involved what it would be like to see Team Sonic in person, face to face. I mean, a set of characters from a video game franchise living among us and travelling over the world during their adventures, which we get to see in their games. How cool would that be?! I couldn't help but smile as I imagined myself actually communicating with them; they would understand my condition like my parents did and we would all just hang out and have a really great time. But unfortunately, that would never happen.

 _Well hey, we can always dream right?_

As I neared the end, I turned left and stopped at the long staircase that stood a few metres away. My classroom was all the way up on the fifth floor, so I had to ascend four staircases in order to reach it. _This is gonna be all kinds of fun..._

"Ugh, here we go," I sighed with slight annoyance as I began to make my way up.

There was a peaceful silence and the only things I could hear were my footsteps. Normally I would consider this alright but this time, I felt cautious. I didn't want the girl to show up again or any other supernatural activity to occur, especially after what I witnessed so far. I heard rumors that it came from Silent Hill, but I refused to believe it as I always thought it was a nice and quiet town. My family and I never actually travelled there but I liked the photos of the mountains at sunset which revealed the sun's rays reflecting Toluca Lake, the buildings and major attractions.

 _Maybe someday, we can go and I could take some pictures with my camera?_

I eventually reached the fifth floor and I was shortly joined by three students whom I politely held the door open for. Two of them seemed to be absorbed in their conversation but one of them gave me a small smile as she and her mates walked past. _Oh..._

"Thanks," The girl said politely, sending an apologetic look in my direction when her two mates didn't respond.

"You're welcome," I replied with a quick reassuring glance as I followed them into the hallway leading to our class.

 _I... I can't say I was expecting that...!_

…

 _A child with autism is not ignoring you. They are simply waiting for you to enter their world._

That's one example of my favourite quotes which I found online, because it describes the other children out there who have autism and myself perfectly. We may be different, but what we have is one of many things that makes us who we are and we should be seen for us. If people could do that instead of tossing us to one side, then...

 _Life would be a million times better, it really would._

My first lesson on today's list happened to be Communications Class with Miss Shepherd. She's one of the two staff members who treat me kindly and whilst she does have the tendency to be a tad _too_ tough (which I admire - because _yes, Queen!_ ), she's a really nice woman with a sarcastic sense of humour. The classroom was just like any other with your typical chairs, desks, white board and colorful images plastered over the walls - but the one pro was this stack of brown bags which stood near our tutor's desk. These were compliment bags and a student would write something on a piece of paper to place in another student's bag for them to see.

 _The possibility of getting one would make my day._

As I followed the group of girls into a very chatty classroom, I made a quick detour towards Miss Shepherd's desk and placed the register down, before walking back to my desk at the very back and taking my rucksack off. Once I set it at my feet and sat down, I pulled off my dark blue hooded coat, laid it behind me on my chair and opened my rucksack to place my Sonic pencil case, journal, headphones and iPhone on my desk. _At least we've got some time to kill. I may as well vent in my journal for a bit._ With that in mind, I opened up my journal for the next clean page and began writing.

 ** _(Journal Entry - January 3, 2016...)_**

 _I'm back with another entry and I think this is the weirdest one I've ever written._

 _Where do I begin? Well, today started with a nightmare which involved me wondering around Lakeside Amusement Park over in Silent Hill. Grotesque figures were scattered in cages, corpses clad in that Robbie the Rabbit costume were all over the place and bonus points go to the types of creepy monsters chasing me whilst I high-tailed it to the Carousel. But unfortunately, I didn't make it because like an idiot, I took too long jumping before I got hit by the f*cking roller-coaster!_

 _Cue me waking up, and I get two visions. They both involved a girl who appeared to be way younger than me at the latest? Anyway, all rambling aside. The first one gave me a sudden headache which was agonising and whilst that didn't happen again, the second one was even worse! The girl's jaw was ripped off and she looked like she could have been a twin sister from another generation! I have no idea why these are showing up..._

 _Maybe my mind's playing tricks on me?_

 _Okay, moving onto more positive things. Mom's starting her new job with Stilwater's News Channel, so she's doing well - which is always nice. I am now 17 years of age and one of the students actually treated me kindly. I rarely get that, so it was a pleasant surprise!_

 _Pro Number 1 for today turning out good._

 ** _(End Entry...)_**

"Hi everyone," A blond-haired and blue eyed woman in her early thirties, clad in her blue tomboyish winter get-up, entered the room with a grin and ventured to sit at her desk. _Miss Shepherd!_ "How are you all doing?"

"We're doing well, thank you," I replied happily as I closed my journal. "How was—"

"How was Christmas?" A girl intentionally interrupted, quickly sending a smug grin in my direction before she turned her back on me.

I sighed with annoyance. Just like any high school, we have the batch of stereotypical Mean Girls who fawn over the Jocks and go out with them. This girl in particular was no exception and she was pretty much the Queen of our school. If you put the two of us together, there would be major contrasts appearance-wise, because she was _way more_ beautiful than I'd ever be. Her blue eyes were more brighter than my green ones and her oval face was clear unlike my combination of spots, moles and freckles. The final contrast involved her blond hair remaining perfect unlike my messy dark hair. The girl's outfit, which involved the stereotypical girly cashmere, also contributed to how approachable she seemed.

" _Jenny,_ " Miss Shepherd warned. "Morgan was kindly asking me a question. Please don't interrupt,"

Hearing this, Jenny scoffed hatefully. "Why should I have to treat that freak with the disease nicely?!"

The rest of the class, except for the girl who thanked me earlier, exclaimed a shocked and intrigued: " _Oooooh!_ " whilst I glowered at them. That visibly _stung_ … but there comes a time where you become used to being hurt. _So, go on ahead kids. You're all doing a great job with making me feel horrible, why stop now?!_

Our tutor glanced at me with concern, before she addressed my bully fiercely. "Am I going to have to suspend you on the first day back?"

"I'm sorry, did you _just threaten me?!_ " Jenny glowered. _She knows she's gonna get it, doesn't she?_

"I don't know," Miss Shepherd snarkily shot back with a glare. " _Maybe_ I did," And cue the professional smile. "Or maybe I didn't,"

 _Oooooooh!_

Our tutor's remark shut everyone up, and she addressed me again. "You were asking me a question, Morgan?"

"Y-Yes," I stammered shyly. "I was going to ask how Christmas went,"

"It went well, thank you," The woman answered with a smile. "Yourselves?"

The girl who thanked me and I both responded in the affirmative and our tutor acknowledged us positively, before she began the first lesson of the day.

 _That was one hell of a start. Whew!_


	3. Chapter 3: Teenage Bullying

**Chapter 3: Teenage Bullying**

It was soon break time, and I stood near the left side of the cafe's entrance dialling my father's number and lifting my IPhone up to my ear. The cafe had a small space with the walls painted in white the floor's tiles painted in dark blue. It was filled with white tables and light-brown chairs, accompanied by metal ones at the back. A few feet away from where I stood was a white counter where a group of individuals would serve students their choices of meals or drinks, with a set of metal shelves on its' left side serving as a selection of the former. The place was currently packed with people sitting at the tables and chatting, whilst others went to buy their snacks or drinks.

I waited for my father to answer and it didn't take long for him to do so. _"Hello?"_

I giggled. "Hey Dad, it's me."

" _Hey kiddo, Happy Birthday!_ " Dad greeted happily. " _How's it going?_ "

"Thank you!" I replied, smiling. "And I'm okay thank you. Mom told me that you were planning to give me a ring, so I thought I'd call up myself,"

" _I see. At least, your memory didn't slip,_ "

I laughed. "Yes, I am aware that I have that tendency,"

Hearing this, Dad chuckled and it seemed like he was about to change the subject before I ended up beating him to it. "So how's everything going at your workplace?"

" _It's been quite busy, and it's one of those moments where I'm thinking: Why am I even here?_ " Dad revealed with frustration. _Oh no!_ " _But on the plus side, my Boss isn't chopping any heads off,_ "

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said sadly, feeling bad for him. "Though regarding your Boss, I agree,"

" _Don't worry about it, Morg,_ " My father reassured me. _"I take it you're still thinking about Sonic, right?_ "

 _W-What the?!_

Quickly shutting my eyes and opening them again, I realised that I had to accept the fact that my cheeks had turned to a really bright red. And I mean, _really_ bright. "Dad, stop, please," I said, trying hard to stifle an amused chuckle. "I hope you feel happy that I'm blushing like a tomato now!"

" _That's what I was aiming for!_ " My father laughed, prompting me to giggle again.

I have to admit, I felt a bit surprised at the idea. But Sonic had Amy with him so regardless, nothing was going to happen because they weren't real. _Besides if they were real, I didn't want to get in their way if something ever happened between them. It's also not like I have a crush or anything, that would be just weird!_ And like I said before, I would imagine and dream about meeting them, Tails, Knuckles and the others. I knew it was impossible, but... if they were out there, living in the real world and walking among us humans, it would be like...mine and the other fans' dreams were becoming a reality. I didn't realise that I had remained quiet for about nearly two seconds until Dad spoke up.

 _"Morgan, you okay?"_

I shook my head quickly and pulled myself together. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just got lost in my own world, I guess,"

 _"You had me worried there for a second,"_

"Dad, you don't need to worry about me because I'm a tough cookie!" I said happily. "Everything's okay over here,"

Dad chuckled again after those words left my mouth. _"Good to know. Unfortunately, I have to go as work is harassing me again. Tell your Mom that I said to say Hello when you see her later, and I'll be back home before you both know it. Love you kiddo."_

"Okay I will do. Love you too Dad, see you later,"

As soon as the conversation ended, I placed my phone into my backpack and decided to head for the library which happened to be close to the staircase I went up a few hours earlier. As I weaved my way through the crowds of teenagers; my eyes darted all around the long corridor as I took in my surroundings. Girls and boys were in their separate friendship groups, chatting about their daily lives and even smoking from cigarettes.

 _When it wasn't allowed! I'm not too fond of the damn things anyway..._

Meanwhile, others were making their ways to their destinations and looking at their diaries. I went through the large double-doors which waited for me at the end, and caught sight of a notice board showing two images with captions underneath. The first revealed a _very _familiar 23 year-old woman with short light brown hair and bright green eyes who was clad in a simple pink tank top, blue skirt and white sneakers. _Oh god... Auntie Eileen...!_

 ** _In Loving Memory of:_**

 ** _Eileen Galvin_**

 ** _1978 - 2001_**

 ** _Rest In Peace_**

 _What did she and all the other victims do to deserve the horrible deaths they had? Nothing! I firmly believe they were all innocent!_

 _Ugh ... why did Auntie Eileen have to die?!_

Pushing my thoughts to one side and moving on, the second image revealed a Latin teenage girl who looked about 13 or 14 years old. Her hair was a dark brown and was swept up in a bun, revealing her golden-brown skin and bright outfit - perhaps a tad _too_ outgoing for someone her age in the 1980s? Then again, I had no idea what that decade or the decades that came before were even like:

 ** _In Loving Memory of:_**

 ** _Cynthia Velasquez_**

 ** _1972 - 2001_**

 ** _Rest In Peace_**

 _Oh..._

I faintly remembered hearing her name mentioned on other news reports back then, along with four other names I had trouble recalling. _So, she studied here too? Huh, nice. Learn something new every day._ Judging by her school portrait, Cynthia seemed like a friendly gir—

"Do you know them?"

Turning round, I found myself facing Jenny who bore a sickeningly sweet smile, despite the hateful fire brewing in her eyes. _Oh, for god's sake! Okay..., just be cool. Play along and see what she wants. You're gonna be okay, Morgan..._ "I don't know Cynthia, but I know Eileen," I sighed sadly, hiding my rapidly growing anxiety. "She's my Aunt,"

" _Oh! I'm so sorry!_ " Jenny exclaimed with fake horror, completely _oblivious_ to how unimpressed I was. _Does she really think I'm stupid enough to fall for her acting?!_ "Remember that she's in a better place now, okay?"

"Thank you, but I've already been doing that for the past fifteen years and I always will," I responded kindly, forcing a polite smile on my face. "You look like you're after something, so what is it?"

"Nothing," The girl lied, smiling that fake smile again. _Please...!_

"Really?" I asked calmly, raising an eyebrow in an unimpressed manner. "Because I can tell something's on your mind, just say it,"

"Okay, you got me," Jenny relented, sadistic pleasure brewing in her eyes as she noticed my anxiety continuing to flare up. "I just have some advice for you,"

 _Oh god..._

"I think you should try and wear a bit of make up, because it would make you look better," The girl insulted me kindly. "Maybe you could cut down the weight and spice up your hair and those messy clothes of yours', whilst you're at it? Nerds with fake diseases aren't tolerated here, you know,"

 _Excuse me?!_

I'll be honest - if Jenny hadn't had made it clear that she was insulting me, I wouldn't have understood what she was implying with her 'girl to girl advice'. But it stung _a lot,_ and she knew it. Words couldn't describe how hurt I was and how much I wanted to rip into her for the bullying - though at the same time, I knew I had no chance if I did. She'd go spreading horrible rumors about me and everyone would be on her side, instead of using their brains for once and supporting me.

 _Argh, how the hell do I get outta this?! ... Okay, keep calm. Just get Jenny to p*ss off back to her gals and find Miss Shepherd. Go._

Bearing this in mind, I responded to her 'advice' with a sarcastic scoff. "Great advice there and in case you're wondering, I'm perfectly fine with being a nerd and how I look. See you in class,"

With that, I calmly left the memorial portraits and began walking back to the classroom I worked in earlier, despite having to fight back tears. _Okay, I like to think I handled that decently - just need to get myself together and find Miss Shepher—_

" _Hey!_ "

 _Oh god...!_

"Did you just insult me, you ret*rded b*tch?!" Jenny demanded furiously, storming after me. _F****ck! Ignore her and keep walking, she just wants attention!_ "Morgan! Hey, I'm talking to you!"

 _And I'm ignoring you, go find attention somewhere else!_

Fighting my rapidly growing anxiety yet again, I kept on walking - which p*ssed off my attention-seeking bully even more. _Find Miss Shepherd, Morgan. If she's not in the classroom, think of where else she could be. You're gonna be oka—_

My steady breathing to remain calm was suddenly cut off by Jenny violently wrapping an arm around my throat and viciously dragging me away from the staircase. _NO!_ My attempt to scream failed due to losing my air supply and all I could do was wheeze painfully and desperately try to pry her arm off. _Nonononogethef*ckoffme! GETTHEF*CKOFFME!_

"Nobody walks away from me," Jenny growled, violently shoving me onto the floor and grinning when she saw me coughing and struggling to get my breath back.

" _What the hell is this supposed to accomplish?!_ " I cried out, pulling myself up to my feet ... only to yell in agony when a hard kick to the face sent me back down. _OOOOOWWWW!_ Pain began throbbing _rapidly_ and before I knew it, blood slowly gushed out of my now broken nose and ran down my face, covering my jaw, teeth and neck. I didn't get a chance to escape as my attacker lunged forward, straddled me and slammed the back of my head against the floor, forcing another cry of agony to rip from my throat.

 _That gave her just enough time..._

After that, the pain... it _wouldn't stop!_ The hard blows to every part of my face, the hurtful insults Jenny was screaming, the other students joining in the commotion by _recording on their phones instead of helping me_ and the insults they threw at me. Whilst I managed to defend myself by getting a few good hits in, I hate to say that I lost...!

I was left lying in a bloody heap on the floor; rocking back and forth, inhaling and exhaling to calm down, violently trembling and screaming in floods of tears. This is a con for my condition, which is a meltdown. If something horrible happens, I lose my will to recover from my anxiety and end up in this state. I felt _unbelievably_ hurt and terrified by what just occurred, so much so that my throat soon turned hoarse and all I could do was cry in agony as I struggled to rise to my feet.

 _Why me, people?! Why me...?!_


	4. Chapter 4: And I'm Coming Home

**Chapter 4: And I'm Coming Home**

 _Sirens of an ambulance blaring..._

" _Mercy one, unit three, to repeat. We are en route. We've got a 17 year-old female. Status is major blood loss. Bodily harm has been inflicted and she is need of emergency surgery,_ "

 _Flashing lights..._

" _Oh my god,_ "

" _Is there a problem, Doctor?_ "

" _That's Dr. Anderson's daughter, get her down here now!_ "

 _Footsteps rapidly approaching..._

" _Morgan!_ "

 _Mom?!_

Looking back, I don't remember much about what happened after I got assaulted. I faintly remember managing to call 911 by myself before Miss Shepherd found me - then I remember the ambulance driver saying that I needed an emergency surgery, which was _absolutely terrifying._ After that, I remember being wheeled down into the familiar smells of anaesthetics belonging to the operating theatre with Mom _begging_ the surgeons to allow her to stay with me, at least until I went under.

 _Then, just like that, it was lights out._

I didn't know how much time had passed since then, or most of what happened during my surgery. Here's what I do know, though: My anxiety was pumping up _real quick_ as I was wheeled in and I don't think I was able to calm down even after it was lights out. As a result, I went into shock sometime during the procedure and... _god_ , this feels horrible to say...!

My heart _stopped_.

I was dead, and I could have been for real if the surgeons weren't quick to resuscitate me with the shock pads. The thought of dying too soon was scary and there were a _lot_ of things I wanted to do before my time was up. Firstly, I wanted to get out of high school and go to college and university. Stilwater and Steelport were high contenders for that, I just needed to decide which one was better. Secondly, I wanted to be a writer. I was always venting in my journal about how sh*tty high school is, but I never thought about writing something different for a change - like stories for example. Maybe they could focus on a young girl with autism who's struggling to find her place in the world and meets a bunch of new people who make a genuine effort to see her for her; friends and possibly someone special?

 _It's definitely something to think about._

So... once I woke up, I begun racking my brains on that whilst opening some of my birthday gifts Mom had decided to pick up from home. One of them was a really lovely silver tree pendant to replace the butterfly one that got stained in blood. My mother had also brought a new change of clothes, whilst dumping my bloody ones in the wash ( _my favourite t-shirt being one of them. God damn it Jenny!_ ). But I was perfectly fine with wearing a blue sleeveless denim jacket sewn together with a long-sleeved grey hoodie and a green butterfly shirt with my jeans, Sonic socks and boots.

After I recovered and was discharged, Mom and I made a quick trip to the police station to explain what happened - because considering the circumstances after the assault, it was counted as actual bodily harm. Once that was done, I decided to return to school and send a message to my assailant and the other students, that it was going to take a lot more than an assault to bring me down for good.

 _Like I said to Dad on the phone, I'm a tough cookie._

It was now the end of the day and nearly dark due to the sun setting. I had just come out of the main entrance, feeling _incredibly_ relieved that I was able to head home and bask in the pleasant white snow. To the far right was a large group of kids, along with Jenny herself, waiting for the local bus to come and as much as I didn't like it, I had to get home the same way occasionally. I could hear murmurs coming from them and without guessing, I realised that the group happened to be gossiping about my assault.

 _Not cool, guys. Not cool._

"What did you think about our friend's attack that happened at break-time today?"

"Oh my god, it was _awesome!_ It was that weird girl with the so-called autism."

"Guys, I was there when it happened! There was _so much_ blood everywhere, she looked like sh*t! It's gonna make great views on Instagram too!"

"I've posted my video on Facebook and people are gonna love seeing her get what she deserves, I know it!"

The rest of the group began laughing whilst my attacker wore a triumphant grin. Meanwhile, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Clearly these guys didn't know that words hurt and I wasn't going to walk over and start screaming at them as that wouldn't get anywhere. However I did have an opportunity to make it clear to Jenny that I wasn't happy, because she turned away from her friends to see me. With a hint of anger boiling, I held my head high and gave her a fierce glare which influenced her eyes to widen for a split second.

 _Oh, she wasn't expecting to see me! Good._

It didn't take long for her to respond with a cruel smirk, which was her way of telling me: I got the upper hand instead of you and I'm on the top of the world!

 _Blah, blah, blah, pfft! Let me make something clear. The police are_ _coming for you, b*tch. I wanna be there when karma bites you in the *ss._

With my goal achieved, I crossed the road onto the pavement and began making my way to the subway station, knowing that she would probably tell her friends about the stare off we just had. The journey on the pavement went on for a little while longer until the staircase leading down into the subway revealed itself. I took a couple of steps down, looking back at my school which had almost disappeared from my view. After a while, I turned round and descended the staircase.

 _I really can't wait to get back..._

As soon as I reached the bottom, I took in my surroundings. The walls were a dull grey, making their bright notice boards stand out and make themselves known. Already there were thousands of people weaving their way through the massive crowd that had formed just a few hours ago. It was pretty much like this every time I went home after school. I began making my way towards my destination; a platform which would send me the train I needed to get back to the King Street Line in South Ashfield.

 _It was simple. Just go through the turnstile at the end, head down a staircase and I'm there._

Soon I reached the turnstiles in a different area which seemed to be surrounded by silence. There were small groups of people here and there, some of them my age. I knew that I wouldn't get anywhere if I struck up a friendly conversation with them, so I tipped my three coins into the machine and went through. I descended a shorter staircase and eventually, the platform came into view.

After finishing my descent, I stood close to the platform's edge and waited for the train to come. I could see some students from my school waiting for their train on the far left; some of them looking at me with cold glares and spitting insults at me.

 _Just ignore them, just ignore them..._

During the wait, I began thinking about what I could do later once I got home. Mom and Dad would be pleased to see me as always and I would be pleased to see them. Maybe if I get time, I could fire up my PlayStation and play a little bit of Sonic's games just to keep my mind of everything that had occurred today. It was only a little while longer before the kids at the end _really_ started to spit their insults at me. But luckily, the train was arriving so I just kept myself together and turned my back on them.

" _Hey b*tch, go to hell!_ "

" _Do us all a favour and jump in front of a car!_ "

 _Blah, blah, blah! You can't bring me down!_

The train eventually stopped and the doors opened. I stepped onto it and searched for a place to sit; nearly all of the seats were full and a small group of them at the end of the carriage were taken by the kids. But there was one left which happened to be close to the entrance I came through. I sat down and placed my backpack onto my lap, trying to calm myself down. After getting briefly startled when a loud noise indicated that the train was now moving, it finally set off.

 _Phew..._

I watched as the platforms faded into rapid colours going at a high speed. Most of the adult passengers just chatted about their daily lives whilst I remained in my usual state of silence. Life was pretty damn tough for me and ... I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm starting to lose hope now.

 _Because I'm done living in a world where others who are different and myself don't get to be who we are..._

It was still a long way to go before the train stopped, so I decided to quickly listen to the news reports which were playing on a small TV plugged near the doors I came through and I will admit, the next one on the list did manage to catch my attention.

" _It is said by some, to be the trial of the century in Stilwater. A notorious member of a gang once known as "The Third Street Saints", Johnny Gat was arrested last year in an assassination attempt against then decorated police officer, Troy Bradshaw. In the resulting trial, Gat was convicted of one count of attempted murder, and a staggering three hundred eighty seven counts of 1st degree murder...promptly sending him to death row._ "

The newswoman, Jane Valderama, spoke clearly with a hint of authority as she stood outside a courthouse with two images emerging next to her. They revealed a bearded brown-haired pale man who was clad in a police uniform and another man who had tattoos on his neck, wore a set of gold-silver glasses, a white undershirt and a shiny purple short-sleeved collared jacket. He looked like he was of Eastern Asian heritage and his short black hair had a spiky style with slightly grey tips at the top.

 _I ... I'll admit, that dude definitely looks like a gang member who others wouldn't want to pick a fight with._

"Holy cow," I murmured with surprise, my eyes widening a little as I listened to the news report. _That's ... quite a people he killed... At least none of his victims were children, unlike that monster Walter Sullivan._

Whilst I listened, I couldn't help but notice that some of my fellow passengers, mainly the teenagers, were still chatting in their groups. _Pfft, thought they'd want to know what's occurring outside Ashfield. Their loss..._

" _Every major news outlet is here hoping to be the first to cover the result of this historic trial. While there has been speculation that Troy's failure to appear as a witness is testament to his loyalty to his gangland roots, others claim that it is nothing short of naked fear for his life that keeps him from entering the same room as Johnny Gat. One thing is for sure, the saga that has been the Johnny Gat trial...is coming to a close._ "

The images of the courthouse and two men then faded away to reveal a large island with a building on top and a tall tower sitting a few feet away from it. A large number of police boats with flashing lights were also seen, presumably leaving the island.

" _Once again, we've got late-breaking news... Earlier today, a woman has awoken from a coma and begun orchestrating a symphony of destruction that engulfed Stilwater's entire island penitentiary. Long since forgotten, this criminal icon joined a fellow inmate in their escape from the island and whilst their whereabouts are unknown, we can assume that the streets are no longer safe._ "

" _I am Jane Valderama, channel 6 news. Back to you, Jack._ "

At this point, my eyes had widened further slightly as the words sunk in. It was very surprising to hear the broadcast, and I had a gut feeling that this was the same woman whom I first heard of in another news report five years ago.

 _Now she's awake and back in the city... Argh! For some reason, I can't help but wonder what she's planning to do as she was a former member of the gang that was mentioned! Is she ... Is she going to try and get them back together? ... I have a feeling she might, but I guess we'll have to wait and see what the news tells us in the future..._

Eventually the train slid to a halt at the King Street Line platform with a screech, accompanied by a second noise which indicated that the doors had opened and already the others were walking out. I slipped my arms through my backpack's straps and followed them onto the platform.

 _Now all that's left is to get up that escalator..._

Once I reached it, I took one step and remained still as the escalator took me and several other people up to the exit. It was a long way up and the only thing I could do was look around. I thought about how Sonic might be doing; maybe he was probably in Soleanna or Empire City, kicking Eggman's butt in an epic never-ending battle. Just like my idol, I wasn't a particularly huge fan of the antagonist. Ever since I heard the nickname 'Baldy McNose Hair' in Colors, I've been addressing him as that non stop. Literally every time he came on screen!

 _Heheh, it's such a cool nickname..._

Eventually, I got off and came face to face with the final staircase that would take me up to the streets. I made my way up and immediately set my sights on my apartment building which was just across the road from the subway entrance. As I entered the double doors, I began running up the staircases as fast as my legs could carry me. Soon enough, the front door of my apartment came into view. Getting out my butterfly keys, I placed one into the lock and turned it, stepping into the place I considered a safe room.

"Hey guys, I'm home!" I said cheerfully as I closed the door behind me. "How were your days today?"

As I turned round, my cheerfulness _immediately_ faded when I saw the state that our apartment room was in. _What the f*ck happened?!_ It was an absolute mess with furniture strewn all over the living room, same goes for the broken plates and bloodstained cutlery in the kitchen. More importantly, blood was decorated everywhere and there was complete silence. "Mom?!" I nervously called out, taking in my surroundings with horror. "Dad?!"

Neither of them responded, and I began searching in my bedroom, their bedroom, the bathroom and the storeroom. _Guys, where the hell are you?!_ My parents weren't anywhere to be seen. "No...!" I gasped, slowly becoming more and more panicked as a realisation hit me. "No, no, _nononono!_ "

Breathing heavily, I paced around the room, trying to calm myself down during the attack I was having. Why? Why did Mom and Dad have to go missing?! Why?! Unable to control myself any longer, a panicked scream ripped itself from my throat as I slammed my fist into the wall, yelling out in pain and trembling. This was the worst birthday I ever had! I got attacked and wound up dead on the operating table, only to be resuscitated and end up coming home to discover that my parents had mysteriously vanished!

Just as I was about to frantically grab my IPhone out of my backpack, I heard a small crash coming from outside my front door. I instantly ran and looked into the peephole to see what had just occurred, despite it being out of character for me to do so. Someone draped in blue was bending down, apparently picking something up that he dropped. As he pulled himself up to his feet, I realised who he was and my eyes bulged with shock.

 _Oh my god!_

The person outside my door was not a person, but an animal. It was a hedgehog who looked about 25 years old. A calm and mature adult instead of the hyperactive and cheerful fifteen year-old he once was. I could tell that there was still a hint of the teenager in him somewhere. Another thing that surprised me was how tall he was now as it looked like he was a little shorter than 1.55, which was my height. His emerald green eyes matched mine perfectly and I could definitely see that whenever he smiled, his kind and friendly personality would shine through.

 _Sonic... He's real... He's actually real!_

"Oh man," The adult hedgehog groaned in frustration. "I hope my luck changes before we head back."

He looked at my front door for a little while longer. It was almost like...he was making eye contact with me. But Sonic then walked away, maybe to get going to Restaurant Fuseli or another place down town? I turned from my door, closing my eyes tightly and taking the realisations in with complete shock.

 _You could ask Sonic to help you find Mom? He always loves to help others and to befriend the— Whoawhoawhoa, what?! No, no, I'm not doing that! Besides, he has a life of his own and I don't want to interfere... Well, how are you going to find Mom? You can't do this by yourself, you idiot!_

 _Okayokayokay, forget that for now! Call the police first and take it from there..._

Diving back for my phone and walking over to sit on the couch, I dialled the police's number whilst violently trembling. _Please answer, please answer, please answer! I need help!_ It turned into a case of sweet glorious relief when a woman eventually answered on the other end, prompting me to begin informing her of what I discovered with great difficulty as I was _dangerously_ close to hyperventilating. I felt _so terrified_ because of my situation, so much so that tears began bubbling up as well.

 _W-W-What should I do?! Guys, please be okay!_


	5. Chapter 5: Crime Scene

**Chapter 5: Crime Scene**

 ** _(South Ashfield Police Station - 19:11...)_**

 _The next four hours were hell._

After I called the police, a dark-haired and brown-eyed woman named Heather and her rookie partner, a dark-haired and blue-eyed younger woman named Lauren, came by to investigate. The latter looked after me whilst the former took photos of our apartment as evidence and... she came across a still loaded silver pistol lying on the bathroom floor, accompanied by a note which simply revealed an address: **43 Lakeside Avenue.**

I felt _even more_ terrified, now knowing that the individual who broke in had a firearm and possibly used melee against my parents, but I was thankfully able to put that to one side and assist the woman in her search. Next came checking to see if clothes and passports had been taken, they were still intact. Dad's car was still in its' place in the car park outside, might I add. We also checked to see if any money had been taken out of wallets (which is where I discovered Mom's handbag on my parents' bed - a _really_ upsetting moment because she doesn't go anywhere without it), those were still intact too. Meanwhile, the woman's partner had gone round the apartment building and asked my neighbors if they'd seen my parents before they vanished.

 _And what did they come back with? A No._

I was losing hope by this stage, and the officers then asked me if I had other family members or trusted people in the area. I responded in the negative ... which meant that the best place for me was Ashfield's Department of Health and Human Services. I _never_ felt so scared in my life! But the officers reassured me that I was gonna be okay, which calmed me down as I knew they were there to help. Once they made the school aware via phone and took three pictures of my parents and myself for the report they planned to post on their Facebook page, I packed the essentials I needed and off we went back to the police station.

Upon arriving, the women sat me down for an interview (which they had to record on camera) and they took the fact that I was _very_ upset into mind - which I was thankful for. I described everything that occurred today; from my always pleasant morning with Mom, my equally positive phone call with Dad, getting assaulted by Jenny, dying on the operating table before being resuscitated, Mom supporting me during my stay at the hospital, the two of us reporting my attack at the police station and me returning to school. I also answered their questions on my family's background. From what my parents told me, 43 Lakeside Avenue was sheltered away from the bustling North Ashfield and the large house stood very close to the graveyard and Sunset Park. Dad also grew up in that house and Mom and Auntie Eileen visited him very often, the three of them witnessing some horrible events there in 1985.

 _My parents didn't go into detail about those events, so that was all I knew._

Mom also told me that some time in 1983, she and her mother (my maternal grandmother) witnessed Auntie Eileen kindly giving her toy doll to a teenage boy who seemed to be around my age, but a year younger, at the subway station. Whilst the act was sweet, they couldn't help but feel cautious by him - probably because of the vibe he gave off. Mom still remembered his appearance too; pale skin, long dirty-blond hair, piercing green eyes and a blue coat. I then had to tell the woman about Auntie Eileen's murder in 2001, fifteen years ago. As I said, I don't remember much personally - but Mom had told me details. She was working at the hospital when Auntie Eileen had arrived after she got assaulted in her room at the South Ashfield Heights apartments - which was just next door to our home. I couldn't imagine how _horrible_ it must have been for Mom to see her little sister being wheeled in with dark-purple bruises everywhere, a broken arm and the numbers: **20121** carved into her back - this memory must have returned when I was wheeled in with similar injuries this morning. After emergency treatment and X-Rays were done ... Auntie Eileen... died a short time later...!

 _I was almost in tears again when I described those events..._

After I had calmed down, the brown-eyed woman focused her questions on whether I had seen any other strange activity around or not, to which I responded in the negative. Then, she decided that this was enough evidence for the time being and she allowed me to have a break whilst she discussed the case with her partner.

 _I was thankful for that, since I didn't know how long I'd be here and what was gonna happen here on out._

The police station was just like any other; you've got the main reception, Chief of Police's office, seating area for criminals, jail cells, meeting rooms, interrogation room, detectives' offices and an area for victims to stay in - the latter was where I was after my interview; an average room with blue painted walls, a white floor, a see-through glass window for officers to check in on me and a lighter brown desk and chair for me to sit at. Constant chatter, phones ringing and repetitive footsteps greeted my ears as they were busy at work. The two women were also nearby during their discussion, occasionally sneaking concerned glances at me.

"So, we're taking the child into care?" Lauren questioned worriedly.

"Yes," Heather answered in understanding. "It's just for the time being until we find her parents or someone to foster her until the former scenario,"

Hearing this, the younger woman sighed with concern. "God, I can't imagine what she must be going through now! To go from getting assaulted to finding her parents gone on her birthday...!"

"I understand your feelings, Lauren," Heather reassured her. "But that girl's a trooper, she'll be fine,"

Meanwhile, I decided to check the police station's Facebook page to see if there were any updates and sure enough, there was the post revealing my parents' disappearances and that I needed help. This prompted a small hopeful grin to paint my face. _Here's hoping that people will notice and that someone might come back with a result. Please...!_ As I continued scanning through Facebook for updates on other pages I liked, my smile soon faded when I found a post which contained a dreaded memory. _Oh god..._

 **Autism Awareness** \- The name of the page.

 **Autistic Girl, 17, attacked by classmates in Ashfield** \- The name of the post.

There was a recorded video of me getting assaulted with Jenny and the kids screaming insults in my face, teasing me with hurtful jokes about my condition and laughing at my pain. _Why do teenagers have to be so f*ckng stupid?!_

The page's status on the other hand, grabbed me by surprise. It was simply: Why? with a tearful emoji. _What the?!_ My heart then took over and I found myself scanning the comments when initially, I wouldn't have done so because of my anxiety issues.

 _What I found was shocking!_

 **Laura Williams: As a mother of three children, I find this to be disgusting behaviour. The school better take action against this!**

 **Kinzie Kensington: Those kids are psychopaths!**

 **Viola DeWynter: This is appalling.**

 **Pierce Washington: What the f*ck is this sh*t?! Them n*ggas need to rot for attacking that girl!**

 **Shaundi Baker (replying to Pierce Washington): Preach! If I was there, I'd be the girl's friend. She looks like she needs one.**

 **Carlos Mendoza (replying to Pierce Washington and Shaundi Baker): I'd be her friend too, Shaundi. She's beautiful. Does anyone know what her name is?**

 **Sam Riley (replying to Pierce Washington, Shaundi Baker and Carlos Mendoza): Hi, I've seen this girl at school and her name is Morgan Anderson. From what I know, she's a really lovely gamer nerd who likes Sonic the Hedgehog and other video games. I hope this helps.**

 **Shaundi Baker (replying to Sam Riley): Thank you!**

I couldn't describe how pleasantly surprised I was! From seeing these kind comments from people I didn't know to the girl who thanked me this morning reaching out to Pierce, Shaundi and Carlos with my identity, that... that's really something. I couldn't help but allow a shy yet moved smile to appear, upon realising that there are more people who would make a genuine effort.

 _Maybe... Maybe there's hope on the horizon for my parents and the possibility of finding friends?_

 **M-S**

 ** _(Meanwhile, back at Lakeview Apartments...)_**

 _I think for the first time in a while, words couldn't describe how shocked I felt._

Where do I begin? The last five days were an absolute blur, though everything seemed to be okay in the beginning. Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Cream, Shadow, Silver and I had been enjoying our new life here in Ashfield and despite the copycat murders occurring three weeks ago, our hometown was way past cool! That was, until members of our fanbase began approaching us in the streets and insulting us. We all knew that there were people out there who weren't particularly fond of us and that was fine. Each to their own.

 _But then they decide to tell jokes and call us out in the streets, and those encounters weren't too exciting._

So to try and keep my friends' minds off the harassment, I offered a small trip out to Soleanna but only Tails and Silver accepted it, which was okay. We haven't visited since the Festival of the Sun and even so, it was pretty nice to be back. No major changes, no new buildings, it was exactly the same kingdom we visited ten years ago. And the citizens were still in pleasant moods, just focusing on their daily lives. Truth be told, I was looking forward to seeing Elise again because firstly Amy wasn't there to keep me away from _all_ the girls in my surroundings and secondly, it felt great to visit a place where we all shared an adventure in!

 _Though Elise didn't remember everything at first, her memories of the exciting times we all shared soon returned!_

Not long after I returned, I decided to head out with Amy on what she thought was a 'date'. She never outright told me what she thought but I knew it from the way she was looking at me throughout our evening trip. _Well, who can blame her at this rate?_ But all didn't go well as we initially thought. We were approached by a group of lads who wanted nothing more than to taunt us about Elise and she's been targeted by our haters ever since we first met her!

 _Moral of the Story: Don't judge a book by its' cover. Maybe if people did that more often, they'd know who she really was. An awesome friend who was sweet, but also a trooper._

The blue hedgehog in the glass window of my bro's car seemed to agree. He was a calm and mature adult with shades of the hyperactive and adventurous teenager still present. You'd think that at 25 years old, I'd be even more hyper but it's actually surprising that my friends and I have mellowed out with age. I'm tolerating Amy a lot more than I used to and I think she's accepted that I'm not interested in anything... _lovey dovey,_ let's say. Shadow's beginning to show more of a kinder side instead of his usual grumpy phase ( _Huge surprise there!_ ) and Tails is more outgoing now.

 _In a way, change is good!_

"So, guys," Tails began as he pulled up in the car park outside our apartment building. "I've been looking places where we could hang out tonight, and what do you think about Restaurant Fuseli?"

"That sounds interesting," Amy replied cheerfully, flashing a smile at me which I returned. "Do you know where it is, Tails?"

"Yeah, just across the street from South Ashfield Heights," My bro responded eagerly. "From what I heard, it might be a tad too fancy but the meals there are great,"

"Sweet!" I commented with a grin. "Do they have chilli dogs?"

Hearing this, Tails chuckled. "Yep, they do,"

"Alright, let's go!" I cheered excitedly, prompting him and Amy to laugh as the three of us exited the car and ventured into the apartment building to gather some essentials.

It didn't take long for my friends and I to reach the third floor, but once we passed Room 303...

"What the?!" I gawked in shock as Amy gave a horrified gasp. _What the chaos happened here?!_

Yellow and black tape with **CRIME** written had been stuck to the front door and inside was a complete and utter mess; furniture strewn all over the living room, same goes for the broken plates and bloodstained cutlery. More importantly, blood was decorated everywhere! A male police officer noticed us and approached, greeting us with: "You can't come through here, this is a crime scene,"

"Yes, we can _see that_ ," I responded, holding back my annoyance. _Thanks, Captain Obvious!_ "We just want to know what happened here,"

"And if there's anything we can do to help," Tails added with concern.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not authorised to tell you," The officer informed us, understanding our worries. "It would be best to stay away from the scene, until the case is resolved,"

 _Tch, do you even know us?!_

"Okay, thank you," Amy said politely, prompting him to bid us a good evening and get back to it. Meanwhile, I was completely shocked! It wasn't like me to show my emotions as I always kept it together for my friends, but this case was different for a number of reasons! One? I could see another adventure around the corner. And more importantly, two? My intuition was telling me that someone needed help!

Cue Tails to receive a call on his phone and to hear Knuckles on the other end, upon answering. "Hey, Knuckles,"

" _Hey, Tails,_ " The red echidna greeted. " _You at home?_ "

"Yeah, I'm with Sonic and Amy in front of a crime scene, Room 303," My bro replied worriedly. "Is there something wrong?"

" _Just an FYI, I'm standing outside 43 Lakeside Avenue in North Ashfield and we've got police officers crawling all over there,_ " Knuckles informed us, equally concerned. " _I'm guessing there could be a connection between the two, so you three better get over here pronto! I've already told Cream, Shadow and Silver as well and they're on the way,_ "

"Okay, thanks! We'll be there ASAP," My bro responded before hanging up. "Change of plans?"

"Yep," I answered eagerly, taking the lead and jogging downstairs with my friends in tow. "New adventure, here we come!"

 _Here's hoping that we find whoever needs help, whilst we're at it!_


	6. Chapter 6: 43 Lakeside Avenue

**Chapter 6: 43 Lakeside Avenue**

 **S-M**

Unfortunately, my hope didn't last for very long. Why? Because whilst I was building up the courage I needed to send friend requests to Carlos, Pierce and Shaundi, a strange ambience began to settle into the room I sat in. Initially, I laughed it off as weird ... but the sense of terror slowly started building, almost like the build up to the visions I had earlier today! And before I could brace myself for yet another one...

 _Boom! One sudden blow to the back of my head later, and I was knocked out._

I had no idea where that suddenly came from, what was gonna to happen to me or where I was gonna end up ... but it didn't take long for me to find out because when I eventually awoke, I found myself a completely new area! It was a simple but wide enough space with white marble walls, matching floor and a single door awaiting me. Slowly rising to my feet whilst attempting to ignore the sounds of wet blood sticking to the sides of my boots ( _Ugh!_ ), I fought my way through the pool of blood and I opened the door, hoping to gain some answers.

 _Where the hell am I?!_

As if to answer my question, the area presented looked like a... house? _Oh god, please tell me I'm in 43 Lakeside Avenue!_ It certainly looked like it, because the area was a hallway with its' walls painted in white and the floor in a dark brown. A staircase led down into a larger section, whilst another next to me took a right into a brightly lit room full of candles. Meanwhile on my left, a simple marble statue of the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus stood - almost like they were both telling me to be careful.

 _I will do. No need to worry._

After offering them a shy yet appreciative smile, I began descending the staircase ... only to pause when a nearby phone started ringing. _Huh?_ This prompted me to reach over and take the phone out of its' case, holding it close to my left ear. _Who am I about to speak to?_

" _Hello, Dwayne. It's Rose, your neighbour,_ " A female voice greeted on the other end. _Is this meant for Dad?_ " _I know it's late, and I know that I tend to be a little anxious about small things,_ " A sad sigh. " _I apologise for that, but I'm getting a bit worried. I haven't seen you out of the house in about three weeks! Is everything alright? Could you call me to let me know that everything's fine? Alright, bye bye,_ "

With that, the message finished and the phone began beeping, influencing me to pop it back in its' case with confusion. _That was weird._ Pushing my thoughts to one side for now, I continued on and entered some kind of decently lit living room area, I assumed. Numerous pictures from previous decades were plastered all over the walls, one of which had a orangey brown couch sat underneath.

A large window shielded by white blindfolds was on my right, allowing me to gaze out at the snowy streets outside - pretty much confirming that I was indeed at 43 Lakeside Avenue. _Thank you, Google Earth!_ A tall dark brown cabinet with glasses intact stood close to the former and an orange-brown chair stood not too far from it with an accompanying dark small table with a digital clock perched on top. The final touches were another white door ahead with a small white cabinet accompanied by a cat clock above on the right and a long hallway on the left.

I decided to keep exploring and ventured forward, taking a left once I reached the door and finding myself in a _very_ dark hallway. _Okay, light switch. On you go._ Fumbling for the former, I managed to find it on the left wall and switched it on ... only for it to say F*ck You via not working.

"Are you kidding me?" I growled in annoyance. _Okay, I see it how it is. I'll brave the dark and potentially sh*t myself, happy?_

I did just that by quickly walking through the hallway. _I'm such a coward. Things can't get any worse now, can they?_

Cue a nearby radio to suddenly switch on, as I approached the end and prepared to take a left.

" _Top of the morning to y'all folks in the great city of Ashfield_ ," A male voice spoke eagerly on the other end. " _Today, the weather is going to be absolutely frigid. The temperature won't drop below 0 degrees and it's gonna be one hell of a snowy day! So, get yourselves wrapped up and take your whole family to the ice rink! Take a day off and show your loved ones how much you care about them on this wonderful vacation!_ "

The usual weather reports we hear every morning, always a nice start to the day. " _On another note - today we have some special guests with us and we're gonna have a lot of fun with one of them. __Her name is Morgan Anderson,_ " One moment of static later, and " _...whole family,_ "

I was left frozen in shock when the radio switched off. _How the hell was that report possible?! More importantly, who else is here?_

"Well, that wasn't creepy at all," _Amy?_

"But at least we're here to help Morgan, wherever she is!" _Sonic?!_

Peeking anxiously around the corner, my suspicions were confirmed when I saw Sonic at the end of the hallway - and he wasn't alone. Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Shadow, Silver and Cream were with him and they had changed with age too, yet they seemed to be the same beings I know and love.

"Sonic, stop," Shadow instructed calmly, holding back his visible annoyance. "You're excited about a new adventure, yes, but have you not noticed that this house may be frightening?!"

"So?" Sonic shot back, smiling. "Once we get some more lighting on the go, we'll be fine!"

"He has a point, Shadow," Cream added pleasantly. "Let's just find Morgan and make sure she's okay. The sooner we do that, the sooner we all get out and help her,"

"Alright, so where should we all look?" Silver asked with concern. "I mean, this house looks huge from outside - so she could be anywhere,"

 _Look behind you, down the hallway!_

"Fair point," Sonic put in. "Let's look around and meet back here, you guys cool with that?"

The 25 year-old's friends responded in the affirmative and separated, walking off into different areas. Meanwhile, I took that as my cue and quickly jogged to where they stood. _Please don't catch me guys. I know you all mean well, but I don't want to get in your way! ... At least I'm not alone in this house, thinking about it._

The area had a door ahead leading into what appeared to be another living room, whilst the front door stood on my left with multiple coats on the accompanying rack and numerous broken keys strewn all over the floor. As for my left, a white chest of drawers stood with a radio and framed images stood atop with a door at the end and a staircase leading up behind me. A smaller rack was punctured into the wall close to the living room door and a silver mirror key was stacked on it.

 _I'm probably gonna need that._

Once I took it, I stuffed it into my jean pocket for the time being.

...

 ** _Dolores' Chapter_**

 ** _A Twisted Dream..._**

...

After doing so, I found myself pondering over where I should go next and ultimately deciding to go back the way I came. _Just to see what rooms there are in here._ With that in mind, I ventured down the hallway again and it didn't take long for me to stop at the first door which had a glass cross inscribed. _The key must be for this room, then._ A click confirmed my suspicions after I slid the key into the lock and turned.

 _Jackpot!_

Once I turned the knob, I opened the door to find myself in a _much more_ darker and smaller area with huge white sheets covering equally large objects; one of which was brighter than the others. _Okay, am I supposed to remove the sheet? I think so._ Following my mental instruction, I entered reaching distance and grabbed the object in question, pulling it away to reveal a gigantic mirror, the latter emitting a ghostly moan.

" _Tch,_ " I scoffed, unimpressed. "Is that supposed to scare me?" One loud scratching later, and "I'll take that a yes,"

 _Nice try._ After strolling out of the room and closing the door behind me, I took a right to see the same white sheet covering a mirror in the living room, the latter standing high next to a small TV emitting static.

"Okay, I see how it is," I muttered, approaching it. "Wanna play a game of chase now, don't you?"

Rince, repeat and this time, there was no mirror present. However, the ghostly moan and scratching noise did echo again, which indicated that the mirror was now upstairs. _Well, that's just great, considering I could get caught up there and I don't want to get in the wa_ _—_

 _Morgan, just do it._

Upon steeling myself together, I quickly ventured upstairs and took a left down the hallway and past the bathroom towards a tall grandfather clock. _Come to think of it, this is actually a nice-looking house._ Once I made it, I found myself on a balcony overlooking the living room and cue another rince, repeat. This time, the mirror revealed a rocking chair which just screamed attic and it didn't take long for me spot a door on the ceiling, the latter emitting sounds of the furniture in question.

 _Are the Sonic Heroes up there or it is someone else?_ _I have a feeling I'm gonna have to head up there._

Scanning my surroundings, I instantly found a chair in what seemed to be a teenage boy's bedroom. _And what better way to reach the attic than stand on a chair to get the handle! Jackpot!_ Upon grabbing and setting it in place, I ascended and made a frantic attempt to grab the handle.

But thanks to my tiny height, I had to resort to jumping and where did that get me? Accidentally losing my balance when the chair lost its' grip and tumbling to the floor with a _hard_ blow impacting my head. _OOOOOW!_ I cried out in agony, struggling to ignore the painful throbbing whilst I pulled myself up to my feet and sent a fuming glare at my destination. _Great - how the f*ck am I supposed to get to the attic now?!_ Frustration was rapidly growing and during another scan of my surroundings, I couldn't help but notice that the area close to the front door had turned dark...

 _And someone was waiting for me, downstairs._

"Oh, hi there," I anxiously greeted, digging out my IPhone and turning on my flashlight, placing the latter in the top right pocket of my jacket. "You're new, what did I do to cause you to show up?"

No answer and thanks to my flashlight, I was able to get a decent enough view of my visitor ... and my terror rapidly grew. Why? Because his blue shirt and grey jeans were covered in dried stab wounds whilst his shoes were stained in blood, as a result. More importantly - he bore a _striking _resemblance to Dad; physical appearance, hair colour, eye colour, beard, everything, yet he was older. _W-Why is my intuition telling me that this is Dad's father and my grandfather?! I mean ... look at the resemblance, that would make a ton of sense!_

"You want me to follow you, don't you?" I choked out, allowing my anxiety to swell up even more. _Yep, he does._ "I-If I do, just... just don't lure me into a trap or kill me, okay?!"

 _Morgan - if this was who you think it is, he'd say something along the lines of: Why would I kill you? and be reassuring ..._ _Goddammit_ _, I don't know what else to do! Calm down, just... just follow him and see what happens. If he does try to kill you, fight back and bail outta there._

With this in mind, I began taking slow breaths to calm myself down as I cautiously descended the staircase. _Pleasedon'tdoanythingpleasedon'tdoanything!_ The man somehow seemed to sense my anxiety because he simply turned left and disappeared down the hallway, reemerging at the very end so I could see him. _What the hell am I doing?_ I continued following him and it was back the way I came when I first entered, until he vanished for good when I ascended the staircase and took another left into the candle room.

"Okay," I muttered cautiously to myself. "I'm here, why?"

All I saw were the candles, which had been arranged in a way that made it appear to be sheltering a row of medieval place settings - which in fact, they were. _Huh, I wonder what these are for?_ Despite this, the candles were a big help in lighting the room up and it didn't take long for me to spot the answer to my problem.

 _Hey, maybe I worried for nothing?!_

On a wall next to a tall brown closet was a framed picture of an elderly couple with an incredibly tall hook stabbed into my tour guide's eye. _Ow! At least he's not covered in stab wounds here, might I add._ Unfortunately, both him and his wife didn't appear particularly happy and... argh, I hate to say this, but she did _not_ look good. She had aged horribly with her grey hair incredibly short and wrinkles plastered all over her skin. The woman looked like she was wearing a cardigan over a dress, presumably.

 _Poor woman. I wonder what happened to her as well?_

Pushing my thoughts to one side again, I decided to take the hook which, after I managed to remove, was long enough to reach the attic door. _Yes!_

"Cheers buddy!" I thanked aloud. _He's not gonna answer, but hey ho._

And more back-tracking. Once I got back to the upstairs balcony, I reached up again for the attic and thanks to my trusty hook, I was able to stick the latter in the door handle and with a grunt, pry the door open. With yet another ghostly moan, a staircase descended towards me - almost like someone was welcoming me into the attic.

"Hello?!" I called out nervously, under the assumption that Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Cream, Shadow and Silver were there as I climbed up with my hook. "I'm the girl you're looking for. Don't mean any harm, coming in peace. Just know that I don't want to get in your way, alright?!"

Surprisingly, I didn't get an answer. _Oh... Are they not in the attic, then?_ My suspicions were confirmed when I finished ascending and stepped into the darkness - which was thankfully illuminated decently by my IPhone's flashlight. The house's attic was just like any other; old boxes packed on my far left and a blue mat paving the path for them whilst on my right, a small staircase led up to the rocking chair I was looking for. _Bingo!_ As I approached, I decided to have a quick peek out the singular window to see the snow again.

 _Oh, how I'd love to bask in that right now..._

Pushing my thoughts away, I turned to face the chair and briefly took hold of it to stop its' rocking. _Steady, boy._ A yellow box was sat on a table behind it as well and once I quickly inspected it, I noticed that it was locked with the words _Sun & Tea _inscribed. _Looks like Granny's a fan of her tea, coolio._ Meanwhile, I didn't realise that the floor next to the rocking chair had been broken to reveal the room underneath and it took the sounds of wood collapsing to snap me out of my thoughts.

 _What the hell was that?!_

Following the source, I approached the missing floor and bent down to survey the room below. _Okay, I'm seeing a brown floor, a double bed with light brown covers and what looks like a baby monitor next to it?_ With my intuition flaring up once more, I decided to jump down into the bedroom. This surprisingly appeared to be a lot different than the modern-day century, most likely 1960s? _It would be so weird if I've gone back in time, impossible as that sounds!_ The bedroom's area was decently wide with green patterned walls, as well as the brown carpet. A dark green cardigan, a pink dress and one white slipper was placed on the bed _(I wonder where the other one is?_ ) and multiple strange dark pictures sat on the wall in front of it. Meanwhile, a large circular mirror stood on its' right side and a black case was perched on the floor next to a white set of shelves containing a dark box and a cassette recorder with one tape already inserted.

Upon allowing my curiosity to take over, I pressed play.

" _Dolores' symptoms are aggravating,_ " A man began speaking. " _The doctors have told me that it's been very hard to pinpoint the exact disorder. They tell me she has symptoms of_ _schizophrenia_ _,_ _bipolar disorder, psychosis, dementia and more,_ " He then broke down in tears, before taking a breath to compose himself. _Oh god...! Poor woman..._ " _I don't know what to do anymore! It feels like the treatments are only making things worse. Today, she told me that she often hears her own voice whispering a sequence of numbers through the baby monitor. She says it's the key to her inner house... What does that even mean? What am I supposed to do?!_ "

The tape finished, and I was left shocked yet feeling horrible for Dolores and the man. Still... _What the f*ck am I getting myself into here? More importantly, what if my idols get dragged into this too?!_

Shrugging my anxiety off, I listened to my intuition again and decided to focus on finding the other white slipper. _Tch, 1960s Cinderella. I love it._ It didn't take very long to do so because it was perched underneath the baby's crib, the latter's mobile devoid of the usual toys that would go on. _They couldn't have gone far in this house, surely._ As I picked up the slipper, I walked over to the woman, Dolores' clothes on the bed and placed it next to its' ever faithful companion...

 _Only for the mirror to suddenly snap, and me to whirl round to see it broken..._

And for me to turn back to notice that Dolores' clothes and slippers had disappeared! _What the hell?! ... F*ck, don't tell me she's here too!_

 _I gotta go...! Igottago, Igottagetoutofhere!_

My anxiety had swelled up horribly for what felt like the _billionth_ time, now that the realisation that Dolores was haunting me had hit. I practically bailed out of the room, gripping my attic hook tightly and sprinting down the hallway. I was breathing frantically with terror, my heart was beating rapidly by the minute and I didn't bother to look behind me, even as the lights began flickering and the sounds of a woman crying hysterically greeted my ears!

 _Oh no, no, nonononono!_

A strong presence filled the hallway ahead and Dolores' sobs grew louder by every second. _Why is she after me?!_ My mind suddenly took one of its' own and I found myself violently lashing out with my hook and screaming at her to get away! Each minute became more petrifying and Dolores' cries grew _too much _for me to handle!

I dropped the hook, slammed my hands against my ears and screamed hysterically with terror! _STOP, STOP, STOOOPP! F*CKINGSTOP!_

 _Before I knew it, it was lights out once more._


End file.
